German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party emerged victorious in national parliamentary elections, but suffered a larger than expected net loss of seats due to the rise of the far right-wing Alternative for Germany part

If anarchy begets hegemony, then to keep the global peace, the international order requires an adult in the room, a role the president of the United States now seems incapable of filling. Luckily for everyone else, China and Germany are ready and willing to audition.

The election results in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the state represented by Angela Merkel when she was first elected to the Bundestag, could foretell more losses for her party in next year’s general election.

European Union Heads of State met for an informal meeting on September 23, focusing on the Syrian refugee crisis with the goal of attaining asylum for refugees and ending the war in Syria. German Chancellor Angela Merkel called for the summit with Chancellor Werner Faymann of Austria.

The BBC reports that considering their increasing estimates of incoming migrants, now a staggering 800,000, Germany’s government has released an additional 3 billion euros from the federal budget to help local governments. The influx of refugees from the Middle East also affects European migrants–the German government will change the status of Kosovo, Albania, and Montenegro to “safe” so that migrants from those countries can be easily deported.

On February 10, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and United States President Barack Obama displayed their disagreement over Ukraine at a White House press conference. Chancellor Merkel, whose visit to Washington was only a quick stop while shuttling between Kiev and Moscow, emphasized that the European Union will continue focusing on diplomatic means to diffuse tensions between Russia and Ukraine.